Day 157 – 159 Oct 24 – 26: Left Alton as the sun came up, just before 7:00 am; headed down the Mississippi River to Hoppies, a small family run marina which is actually a couple rusty old barges strapped together and secured to land….but they do have power, so that was a pleasant surprise!
On the way we passed through 2 locks. The first was the Mel Price lock, named after Illinois Congressman Charles Melvin Price. The lock was newly rebuilt between 1990 and 1994 with a vertical drop of about 15 feet. This is the lock we toured at the National Great Rivers Museum a few days ago. It’s main chamber is 1200 feet long and 110 feet wide with a miter gate down river (in front of us) and a vertical lift gate up river (behind us). What the heck does that mean, you might ask! The miter gate is 2 huge doors and the vertical lift gate is essentially a wall that rises/falls from the bottom of the lock. See the video below for the noises of the lock and how the bollard “sings” and another video below of the vertical lift gate and miter gate in the next lock (the Chain of Rocks Lock).
As we approached the Chain of Rocks canal, an 8.4 mile canal that precedes the Chain of Rocks lock, you can’t miss the big sign that warns you to go to the left for the lock and canal, or you will enter very shallow waters complete with rocks (ergo the name), rapids and other hazards. How can you miss this?
Well some might remember the sailboat that made that mistake in October of 2021. That was a very bad day for them. While the 2 people on the boat were rescued, the boat was lost in a storm over the next couple days as they tried to salvage it. It was never found.
See below for the vertical lift gate in the Chain of Rocks lock. This lock took us down some 8-10 feet.
Just a few miles south of the Chain of Rocks lock, we came upon the long awaited Looper picture opportunity – the boat in front of the Gateway Arch!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t provide a little history of St. Louis, since I didn’t do that in our last post. St. Louis, often referred to as the “Gateway to the West,” played a pivotal role in American history, serving as a launching point for westward expansion during the 19th century. The city was founded in 1764 by French fur traders and named after King Louis IX of France. It became a major trading post and gateway for explorers, trappers, and settlers heading west.
In the 19th century, St. Louis became a hub for westward migration, with the Lewis and Clark Expedition departing from the city in 1804 to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase. Purchased in 1803, this new land doubled the size of the US adding 530 million acres. This vast tract of land was purchased from France for $15 million USD (Napoleon was running out of money battling Great Britain).
The city’s role as a transportation and trade center was further solidified when the Gateway Arch, an iconic symbol of the city, was completed in the 1960s, commemorating the westward expansion of the United States. However, like many industrial cities, St. Louis faced economic challenges and population decline in the latter half of the 20th century. The city struggled with deindustrialization, suburbanization, and racial tensions, resulting in the decline of its population and urban infrastructure. Today, St. Louis remains a city of historical significance and cultural heritage, but it grapples with issues of urban blight, crime, and economic disparities. Despite these challenges, St. Louis still embodies its historic role as a symbol of America’s westward expansion and retains its cultural and historical significance in the heartland of the United States.
After the Arch, it was onward to Hoppies and a little town, we were very pleasantly surprised by, called Kimmswick. In Kimmswick, we found some very cute shops (I got a sweater) and a fabulous restaurant and bakery called the Blue Owl. Unfortunately we got there at 2:50 pm and they close at 3:00, so no restaurant for us but the bakery was open. There we found the “Levee-High Apple Pie” inspired by the Great flood of 1993 when the Blue Owl had to be evacuated and the gallant sandbagging efforts of thousands of volunteers and National Guard saved the town and restaurant. An earthen levee built outside the Blue Owls’ back door withstood the 50 foot crest of the Mighty Mississippi. Mary, Owner and baker at the Blue Owl created this special Levee-High Apple Pie weighing in at 8 lbs standing 8” tall containing 18 hand peeled, sliced and stacked apples! Who can resist that!?!
After Hoppies, on 10/25 (a day marking the end of our 5th month on the loop) we headed south about 38 miles trying to get part of the way to Little River Diversion Canal, which in one go would have been about an 11 hour run. We found a safe anchorage south of Kaskaskia Lock and Dam on the right descending bank. With a 3+ knot current, Legacy anchored first and Saga and Lil Sudden tied on each side of us, also dropping their own anchors – more is better in this current and wind. We set our ‘anchor drag alarms’ and set out some cheers and crackers. As we got ready for dinner, Tonia crossed over from Lil Sudden to Legacy and saw, out of the corner of her eye, something amiss on their anchor chain. Low and behold it was a huge log laying perfectly across their chain with the chain acting as a fulcrum and the current keeping the log in place. We were thankful it didn’t hit one of the boats, but now how to get it loose?
It was all hands on deck to figure out how to get this log off of the anchor chain and beyond the boats safely. After lots of pushing and pulling, a few bad words and the help of Legacy’s anchor winch, we were able to break the fulcrum and current with a 50’ line to pull it off the chain. We were able to safely guide its passage between the two boats (Lil Sudden’s starboard and Legacy’s port) after failing to be able to get any leverage on it to go around Lil Sudden on her port side. With 4 boats anchored behind us, we didn’t want to just unleash the log, so the guys brought the dinghy around and towed it to shore. Crisis averted and it was time for dinner! We’d find out later that another log found the boats behind us later in the night (around 11 pm). We had already retired but heard their story in the morning. You never know what will happen on the Mississippi!
Up to see the glorious colors of the morning, we enjoyed the other half of the pie for breakfast and were ‘anchors up’ around 8:30 am for our 7 hour journey to Little Diversion Canal where we will anchor and celebrate Mayli’s birthday!
Today is Day 1 of month 6 on the loop…… 10 states and 1 Canadian province. Onward to warmer weather!
chashurley
We are loving your entire blog! Especially sunrise the day before. We are with you vicariously on the Loop! Chuck and Ginnie